Expandable mandrel for web rewinders



Feb. 28, 1961 p, ZERNQV l2,973,160

EXPANDABLE MANDREL FOR WEB REWINDERS l Filed Jan. 26, 1959 INVENTOR. PETER ZERNUV BY United Stats Patent EXPANDABLE MANDREL FOR WEB REWINDERS Peter Zernov, Milwaukee, Wis., assigner to Mercury Engineering Corporation, Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Filed Jan. 26, 1959, Ser. No. 789,160

2 Claims. (Cl. 242-72) This invention relates generally to paper converting machinery and more particularly to a mandrel for winding a roll of web material on a rewinder, for example, as it comes off a printing press or other machine.

In this particular art, the rolls of web material are of considerable size andy weight. They also vary in length and it is therefore often necessary to change the position of the supporting arms of the rewinder to accommodate these various roll lengths.

After this web of material has been wound on a mandrel, it is desirable to pull the mandrel from the rolled material for reuse thereby minimizing the total number of mandrels required.

Contractible drums or mandrels have been used with a certain amount of success but have generally had several disadvantages. For example, many of them are comprised of numerous parts including cams and wedging devices and are of rather complicated and heavy structure which make them difiicult to operate,` more subject to malfunctioning and difficult to handle manually when empty. Other prior art collapsible reels or rollers of this general nature are comprised only of two sections which define the reel periphery and in the collapsed position to not actually or sufliciently reduce the diameter of the reel in all directions. Still other devices, because of their complicated internal mechanism, are not adaptable to be chucked at each of their ends by conventional chucking equipment.

In accordance with the present invention, an expandable-type mandrel has been providedwhich is economical to manufacture, relatively light in weight considering its size and strength requirement, easily reduced in diameter to permit ready withdrawal from the roll formed thereon, readily ehueked into winding position, and can accommodate any length of roll material to be formed thereon without the necessity of readjusting the support arms of the rewinder.

More particularly, the present invention provides a three-section collapsible mandrel for a web rewinder, two sections of which are collapsibly connected together by over-center toggle linkage which is carried solely on adjacent longitudinal edges of these two sections. The result is a simple, rigid and efiicient joint which leaves the interior of the mandrel unobstructed.

' More specific aspects of the present invention contemplate an expandable mandrel of the above type which will maintain an assembled relationship of the various parts when in the collapsed position to thereby facilitate the handling thereof.

These and other objects and advantages will appear hereinafter as this disclosure progresses, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which;

Figure 1 is a perspective view into a mandrel made in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is another perspective view of the mandrel, but on a smaller scale;

Figure 3 is a side view of the mandrel, certain'parts being broken away and in section for clarity;

and are pivotally connected thereto ice Figure 4 is an end view of the mandrel; and l Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line 5 5 in Figure 3.

The present invention is concerned with an expandit is thought only necessary to mention in regard to thel rewinder itself, lthat `a pair of iaxially-shiftable chucking heads 1 and 2 have anaxi-ally extending liange 3 0n which the mandrel M is mounted for rotation therewith;

The mandrel comprises three sections 4, 5 and 6 which each constitute an arc of about and which are connected together bythe piano hinges 7 and 8 which are generally coextensive in length with these sections.

Over-center type toggle linkages connect sections 4 and 6 together at yspaced locations along the length of the mandrel. single tool from the end of the mandrel which causes a reduction in diameter thereof to permit ready removal of the mandrel from the roll of material. When these toggle linkages are straightened out, they securely lock the sections into a true circular cross-sectional shape. These actions are accomplished as follows. n

A shaft 9 is rotatably secured `adjacent the edge of the arcuate section 4 by means of the brackets 10 which are welded to the innersurface of 'this section and. in which the shaft is oscillatably mounted. An larm 11 is located on each side of each bracket 10 and these arms are rigidly ysecured to the shaft 9 by set screws 12 for oscillation with the shaft.

Another shaft 15 is oscillatably mounted along rthe adin the bifurcated end of each one of the brackets 16 and are rigid-ly secured to the shaft 15 by set screws 18. Arms 17 extend between their adjacent pair of arms 11 tive by set screw 21.

The arms 11 and 17 constitute toggle linkage which,`

as shown in Figure 4, arein the substantially straightened position slightly over dead-center where they act to lock the sections together in the expanded position.

A spring 22 located `at each end of the mandrel and acting in tension between the shafts 9 and 15 firmly hold the toggle link-ages in the slightly over dead-center position.

The linkages are |held in the locked position and prevented from going further past dead-center by the stop lugs 23 (Figure 5) which are welded to shafts 9 and 15 and bear against the inner surfaces of their sections when the toggle linkage reaches the locked position shown. These lugs insure precise al-inement of t-he sections in this expanded position and contribute to a rigid and concentric mandrel.

One end of shaft 9 terminates in a square portion 25 sections 4 and 6in theirmovement towards and away These linkages may `all be collapsed by :aV

-by a pin held cap-:

sections when the mandrel is empty. This guiding means takes the form of arcuate guide bars 27 and 28 welded or otherwise secured at one of their ends to sections 4 and 6, respectively,'and extend overjthe other section." These guide Abars 27and'28 are -locat'ed-fat both ends of the mandrel and also help -to insure alinement of the section and reinforcement thereacross.` In addition, they insure alinement of thel sections in the axial direction. The'chucks 1 and 2 prevent' collapse of the sections when the mandrel is loaded and the guides 27 and 2S perform this'function when the chucks are `not in place and the mandrel is empty.

AThe outer ends of the sections 4, 5Y and 6 are reinforced -by the arcuate-shaped rodr members 30 which are fastened thereto by screwsr 31. Members 30 are coexgtensive with the sections in radial extent and form a smooth peripheral surface therewith. The inner corner of these members 30 are chambered 'to facilitate entry therein of the chuck'` heads 1 and 2. n

' vDrive slots ,34 are formed in each end of `the, mandrel forre'ceiving the drive lugs 35of the chucks. These slots are formed ythrough adjacent corners of the sections and through the reinforcing members 30.

llt w-ill be noted that when the mandrel is expanded, the space `between the sections 4 and 6 is irregular or broken along the length of the mandrel which olers a SmoothA rolling contact for the presser roll (not shown) to travel over. There is thus no abrupt change from one section to lthe next.

The mandrel made in accordance with the present invention provides fork readily reducing its diameter by approximately of an inch as shown in the drawings, foreasy withdrawal fromV the rolled mater-rial. No shims or tapered connections are required'and the structure is simpleand relatively light in weight. A smooth-acting andaccurate mandrel with positive locking and unlocking thereof liasbeen provided which can be quickly operated to accommodated/ations lengths of rolls to be formed thereon. l

' Variousv modes of carrying out theinvention are contemplated as being within the/scope of the following claims 'particularly pointingout and Adistinctly claiming the subject matter which is regarded as the invention.

j lrA tubular and expandable mandrel for` being removablymounted between' the chuck heads of alweb rewinder, said "mandrelv comprising'three elongated arcuateshaped sectionsftwo'of' said sections "being hingedly oonnected along one of theirlongitudinal'edges to opposite edgy ofthe third section, said two sections being shiftably secured together by a toggle linkage assembly, said assembly including a shaft oscillatably mounted within said mandrel and along the inside of each of the adjacent longitudinal edges of said two sections, a series of axiallyspaced toggle links connected between said shafts, one of said links of each series being rigidly secured to one of said shafts, means on said one shaft for receiving a tool to oscillate said one shaft and said toggle links into collapsed and substantially dead-center positions to thereby respectively contract and expand the mandrel, and pairs of arcuate guide bars, one bar of each pair being rigidly secured to each of said two sections adjacent the longitudinal edges of said two sections for sliding and guiding contact with said two sections, the bars of each pair being adjacent one another.

2. A ltubular and expandable mandrel for being removably mounted between the chuck heads of a web rewinder, said mandrel comprising, three elongated arcuateshaped sections, each section having a chuck head receiving reinforcing rim at their ends, twoof said sections being'hingedly connected along one of their longitudinal edges to opposite edges of the third section, said two sections being shiftably securedV together by a toggle linkage Iassembly to thereby vary the diameter of said mandrel, said assemblyY including a shaft oscillatably mounted within said mandrel and along thev inside of each of the adjacent longitudinal edges of said two' sections, a series of laxially-spaced toggle linksl connected between said shafts, means `on one of said shafts :for receiving a tool to oscillate said one shaft and said links into collapsed and substantially dead-center positions located completely Within the periphery of said sections to thereby respectivelyy contract and expand the mandrel, and pairs of arcuate guide bars, one bar of each pair being rigidly secured to each of said two sections adjacent the longitudinal edges of said two sections for sliding and guiding contactwith said two sections, thebars of each pair being adjacentv one another.

Y A Referent's citt-ain the sie of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,793,180 Y Latham Feb. 17, 1931 1,803,180' Gargolinskina. Apr. 28, 193i 1,832,590 Sponable et al. Nov. 17, 1931 1,905,178 i' Kohler Apr. 25, 1933 1,916,822 Bochmann July 4, 1933 2,211,471l j Klein i-; .L Aug. 13, 1940 2,378,024 'y Macchesneyf Q--- June 12, `1945 2,520,126 "Collard Aug. 29, 1950 2,535,693v Murray' 1.. Dec. 26, 1950 2,625,338 McArn Ian. 13, 1953 

